Five months had passed, and the child had become an inseparable part of her life.
The city was as lively as ever, with its usual hum of voices, cars, and lights, but her world had shifted.
As she strolled down the streets, she glanced at the small boy nestled in her arms. He was now much healthier and stronger than the fragile infant she had found that night in the park. His tiny fingers clung to her clothing, and his wide, curious eyes quietly absorbed everything around him.
She had long since stopped expecting the man to return.
In the early weeks, she had waited, hoping every shadow or distant figure might be him. But as the weeks dragged on, she knew the truth— he wasn't coming back.
Whether he had been killed by the enemies he had spoken of or had simply disappeared into the depths of the city, she had no way of knowing.
Now, she was the boy's only family.
At first, the thought overwhelmed her with uncertainty. But slowly, a sense of peace settled in.
The decision to care for the child weighed heavily on her, but in the end, it wasn't a difficult one.
His innocent gaze and small smile had carved their way into her heart. She had grown attached to the child, making it difficult to abandon him.
And thus decided to raise the child herself.
The following months were a whirlwind of learning and adjusting. As a single woman in the bustling city, she had never imagined herself caring for a child.
Yet, she found herself embracing the role.
With advice from other parents, online videos, and articles, she quickly learned how to nurture him.
The bond between them grew deeper every day, and after three months, she finally completed the paperwork to legally adopt him.
Yes, she decided to adopt him, and even told the story of how she found the boy abandoned in the park. She was smart enough not to tell anything about the mysterious man.
The authorities, touched by her story, suggested she adopt him as his mother. But she couldn't bring herself to take that title.
Even though she had become everything to him, she still felt too young for motherhood.
She had a long life ahead of her and hadn't yet found a man she could love. How could she possibly embrace motherhood?
The title of "sister" felt more fitting, given her age and the future she still envisioned for herself.
In the end, she chose to adopt him as her younger brother.
As they reached the small garden near her home, she knelt down, letting him crawl on the soft grass. His giggles filled the air as he reached for the colorful flowers, his chubby hands clutching the petals with fascination.
A smile crept onto her face, her heart softened with each of his giggles, and despite everything, she had come to cherish these quiet moments with him.
The memory of that night still lingered in her mind— how she had found him, the darkness surrounding them, the desperate man who had entrusted the boy's life to her care, and the way her life had changed after that.
She had no idea if the man was alive, but it no longer mattered. To her, the answer was clear.
This child was her little brother.
---
"Say, aah…"
"Aa…"
In the quiet warmth of her home, she sat on the edge of a bed, smiling gently. She scooped a small spoonful of baby food from the bowl she held, and brought it towards the baby lying next to her.
Though the baby didn't understand her words, he recognized the tone, and instinctively opened his mouth.
The familiar taste of something wet and sweet touched his tongue, and he clumsily swallowed. A few drops dribbled from the corners of his lips, staining his rosy cheeks.
"You spilled it again," she said softly, placing the bowl on the bedside table before wiping the baby's cheeks with a soft cloth.
"Ba Ba Ba~"
The baby babbled happily, gazing at her with wide eyes, as if responding. His innocent expression, despite the food smeared across his face, made her smile.
After gently cleaning his face, she lifted him and placed him in the small cradle beside the bed.
"Wait here, Zhi'er. I'll be back in a minute with your milk," she said, brushing his hair gently before heading to the kitchen.
Ten minutes later, she returned with a bottle filled halfway with fresh milk. But as she approached, she noticed the baby had already fallen asleep.
"Already asleep?" she murmured with a soft chuckle.
Placing the bottle on the table, she checked on him once more before heading to the bathroom.
The gentle sound of running water soon filled the house as she freshened up.
Half an hour later, dressed in a soft nightgown, she quietly returned to the room.
Careful not to wake him, she lifted the baby from the cradle, laying him gently in the middle of the bed and wrapping him snugly in a warm blanket.
"Goodnight, Zhi'er. Sweet dreams," she whispered, as she pressed a kiss to his forehead before lying beside him, and wrapping him in a protective embrace.
Over the past few months, their bond had only deepened, and caring for him had become second nature to her. Though she was his sister in name, every gesture she made wasn't less than that of a mother tending to her child.
---
Time flew by, and before she knew it, Zhi'er was nearly five. The thought stirred a mix of pride and bittersweet feelings within her.
One late afternoon, as she walked home with arms full of groceries, her thoughts wandered.
"Next month, he'll be starting kindergarten," she murmured to herself.
"I have to cherish these moments with him while I still can."
Her lips curved into a smile as she imagined the coming years.
"He's grown so much already. I can't wait to see who he'll become."
Lost in thought, she hardly noticed the looks from passersby as she made her way back home.
The years had flown by, but the joy she felt raising Zhi'er never waned. He had become her world.
Ten minutes later, she arrived home. Humming softly, she unlocked the door and stepped inside, only to be startled by a sharp cry that suddenly cut through the air.
"Aaaahh…!"
The sound came from within the house, and it sent a chill down her spine. Her heart raced as she hastily dropped the grocery bag onto the table, and rushed toward the bedroom.
"Zhi'er!" she called out, her voice filled with panic.
The moment she entered the room, her blood ran cold.
He lay on the floor, motionless, tears streaking his face. The sound of his earlier cry had already faded into an eerie silence.
Frantic, she rushed to his side and scooped him into her arms, checking his condition.
He was unconscious but still breathing. Her fingers brushed his flushed skin, and she realized with alarm that he was burning up with a high fever.
Her panic only deepened as she carefully examined him, searching for the cause.
Then she saw it— a small red welt on his arm. Something had bitten him. A bee sting, she realized, her mind racing.
The pain and the resulting fever must have overwhelmed him.
She quickly took out a pill out of nowhere, and gently placed it in Zhi'er's mouth. With her other hand, she carefully massaged his throat to help him swallow.
"That'll detoxify the bee venom, now the only thing left is his fever…"
Then, without wasting any time, she put him to bed and rushed to bring down his fever, using a cool, damp cloth to soothe his burning skin.
"It's going to be okay, Zhi'er. I'm here… I'm here," she whispered gently as she watched him.
Her face appeared calm, but her heart raced with worry.
Though the boy couldn't hear her, she remained at his side, determined not to leave until his fever had passed.
---
[SYSTEM binding progress: 99.998%... 99.999%... 100%]
Ding! [SYSTEM binding completed. SYSTEM is rebooting.]
[SYSTEM rebooting…]
---
The boy, now five, sat cross-legged, surrounded by a scattered collection of toys. His attention wholly consumed by them, transported to the imaginative world he had built in his mind, far removed from reality.
Suddenly, a low Ding! cut through the silence.
He paused, glancing around in confusion. He heard something but couldn't place it. Shrugging, he returned to his toys, but the sound repeated, this time, a bit clearer.
"SYSTEM rebooting," echoed a voice, but the child didn't understand the words.
He was too young and innocent to grasp what was happening.
Suddenly, a translucent screen flickered before his eyes which startled him.
The toy fell from his small hands, wide-eyed he stared at the floating display. Confused, he reached out only to find his hand passing through it.
Strange symbols and unfamiliar words moved across the screen. It filled him with panic, though he didn't know why.
More and more screens appeared, overlapping one another. His mind, fragile and innocent, couldn't comprehend what was happening, and felt overwhelmed.
The SYSTEM's voice spoke again. It was calm yet to the boy, it was an incomprehensible noise.
---
Ding! [Checking Host's condition…]
Ding! [Detected! Incomplete soul connection!]
[Re-establishing the soul connection.]
[Linking…]
[Warning: Host may feel pain during the process.]
[Link established.]
[Linking progress: 1%... 6%... 16%... 31%... 51%... 76%... 98%...]
---
The boy's confusion quickly turned to fear as the flashing images intensified. His breathing quickened, and tears welled up in his eyes. His body trembled.
"Aaaahh…!"
He cried out, clutching his head as an excruciating pain erupted from within.
It was unlike anything he had ever felt.
The pain spread through his body like wildfire, his limbs seizing up as if he were caught in a terrible nightmare.
The pain was unbearable for someone so young.
Within moments, his consciousness faded, his body went limp and he collapsed among his scattered toys.
Silence filled the room once more, but broken again by the hum of the SYSTEM.
"Zhi'er!"
Just a moment later, the woman called with a panic filled voice, but unconscious, he couldn't hear.
---
[Linking progress: 99%... Error!]
[SYSTEM detected disarrayed memory fragments within Host's soul.]
[SYSTEM integrating memory fragments with Host's soul… Error!]
[SYSTEM detected a seal within the Host's soul.]
[Would Host like to break the seal?]
---
[Greetings, host. I am SYSTEM.]
[What are the Host's goals?]